Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-10-12
THE DEATH OF BLUCHER.

After the events through which the mar
Of Europe was completely altered in 1915
the Prussian Field Marshal Blucher. the
savior Of Wellington at Waterloo, and
whom nobody liked because of his rude
ness and brutality, was put on the retired
list Disheartened by his removal and
reduced TO inaction and obscurity, he left
Berlin and went Ia reside in his castle
situated in Pomerania. Soon he fell into
deep melancholy. rendered more intense
by dropsy and inflammation Of the chest
A strange change in his character took
place. That rough soldier became timid,
even poltroon. He would not remain
alone in the darkness: solitude threw him
into singular anguishes His state OF
health WAS reported to the king. who
esteemed and loved him a great deal The
monarch having heard that at several
times the marshal had expressed the wish
Of seeing him once more before he died,
resolved to visit him
Leaving Berlin in the morning, the
king of Prussia arrived in KrieblowitE
early in the evening. Immediately he
was conducted 10 Blucher's room. The
sick man, aged "a years, was reclining on
a sofa placed before a large chimney, in
which enormous logs Of wood were burn
ing. Their flames illuminated the room
and cast mobile and red reflections on the
features o. the old man wrapped up in
bearskin. At the entrance of his sover-
elgn IN his apartment, Blucher tried TO
rise out Of respect for his august visitor,
who prevented him from doing so. The
king took a chair and sat by the side OF
the marshal.
Blucher ordered to be left alone with
his master. When every one had left the
room he said:
Sire, l have humbly requested your
majesty to come here. in this castle of
krieblowitz: rather than not see You l
would have gone to Berlin myself, al
contide to your majesty, a terrible one.
Will my king allow me Ia speak,''
Certainly. my dear marshal"
Before listening TO my narrative, sire.
look at me well. Assure yourself that l
am in the full possession OF my senses and
that am not "a lunatic. Sometimes be
lieve 10 be on the verge Of insanity; and |
doubt IL i am not taking yesterdays
visions for remembrance of days gone
by. But no." added he. drawing a gold
bracelet from his pocket. mo. all is true.
all is real, and l am sure Of what am
saying.
''Listen to me, your majesty:
''When. in 1856, the Seven Years War
begen. my father, who inhabited his cas-
tie of Gross RenZow, sent me to the manor
of our relatives, situated in RuGen Island
After a while the Russian government
offered ME the grade Of cOrnet in the Black
Hussars regiment. l accepted of fur
Tough to afford me the opportunity Of pay
ing visit TO my family, that had not
seen for months. A leave of absence was
granted to me.
''on my way to Gross Renzow found
all that part Of the Meckienburg horribly
devastated. Arriving about four miles
from horne became aware that my car
riage could not ascend the new sleepy
road conducting to the house OF my an
cestors. i abandoned it. and pursued my
journey on horseback, followed by one Of
my servants.
1T was fifty-nine years ago this very
day, the l2th Of August. and at the hour
indicated now by this antique clock-haif
past eleven. A dreadful tempest shook
the trees. the flashes of lightning blinded
me and the reports of thunder deafened
me: the rain was pouring. After gallop-
ing quite a while in the forest l arrived
before the castle alone; my servant had
lost his way through the inclemency Of
the weather.
Without dismounting / knocked at the
door with my whip. Nobody answered
my call that l repeated three times with
ont being answered. Out Of patience. l
alighted from my horse, assembled the
stoop and entered the castle. No light,
no noise anywhere. avow that my
heart went to my throat and chill crept
my body.
What foolishness, thought l: the
the city. No matter, as i am here, I
must arrange myself as well as possible.
"And l crossed hall and went TO my
fathers room. A fire half extinguished
was smoking in the chimney; by its faint
light saw my father, my mother and my
four sisters, seated around the fireplace;
they rose when they perceived me. ran
to kiss my father, he stopped Inc with a
gesture; l extended my arms to my
mother; she fell back with sad motion Of
the head. called my sisters. each sep
arately: they took each other by the hand
without answering me. Then the whole
of them returned TO their seats.
".Do not you know me any morer ex-
claimed I. Is il like this a family ought
to receive n son and a brother. Have
you already heard of my entrance in the
Russian service, could not refuse Re-
that the first thing | do is To
come and inform you Of my action. What,
you do not speak, My mother,
you keep SILENT Have you forgotten, my
sisters, our mutual tenderness and the
plays Of our childhood-those plays that
this place has witnessed So oftenr
AT those last words my sisters ap-
pearei to be moved. They spoke low,
rose and signaled me to approach. One
of them knelt before my mother as if she
wanted To play a game in which the play
ers strike each other. Surprised with this
strange fancy in moment SO solemn, l
touched the hand of my sister with the
end of my whip. a mysterious force at
tractcd me.
when my time came to kneel before
my mother and to put my head on her lap
oh, horror! l felt a form angular and
cold under her silk dress. l heard q
sharp noise like the rattling of bones, and
the. hand met mine: that hand rested
In II. 1t was skeletons hand. l ut
tered cry Of terror. They were human
remains that shook convulsively.
.sOut Of myself, and with a disturbed
mind, l raj; away from this awful castle;
in the yard l found my horse; mounted
and departed at u furious pace. AT the
break of the day my steed fell dead, and